By Jill Williams
Saturday's GII Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar was billed as a showdown between the top sprinter in the West, two-time GI Bing Crosby Stakes winner The Chosen Vron (Vronsky), and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), winner of the world's richest race, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. The Chosen Vron toted a gaudy six-race win steak, while Senor Buscador was returning from a break after finishing third in the G1 Dubai World Cup. Despite the headlines, apparently Mark Davis and Great Friends Stable's Raging Torrent (c, 3, Maximus Mischief-Violent Wave, by Violence), the only 3-year-old in the field, missed the memo, not only intruding on the prize fight by engaging in his own slugfest with The Chosen Vron, but also capturing the first graded win of his career and earning a fees-paid 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, which will be held over the same surface the first weekend in November.
Raging Torrent entered the Pat O'Brien off two sharp wins at the distance at Churchill Downs. His Derby Day optional allowance was a monster effort, earning him a 104 Beyer Speed Figure and an 8 1/4-length win margin, and he returned in late June for his first career black-type victory in the Maxfield Stakes, with vanquished foes that day including eventual one-two GII Amsterdam Stakes finishers World Record (Gun Runner) and Jefferson Street (Street Sense).
With all eyes in the Pat O'Brien on The Chosen Vron and Senor Buscador, who broke next to each other, Raging Torrent appeared to brush slightly out of the stalls with GIII Palos Verdes Stakes winner Big City Lights (Mr. Big). Unaffected, he shot to the front for a :22.56 first quarter as The Chosen Vron stayed glued to his hip and late-running Senor Buscador ambled along several lengths behind the rest of the field. After a :44.96 half, Raging Torrent met the challenge from a gutsy and game The Chosen Vron to his outside and the two raced in tandem around the turn. The Chosen Vron poked his head in front at the top of the stretch, but Raging Torrent, in receipt of seven pounds, would not be denied and battled every step of the stretch, edging clear late to defeat the West Coast's sweetheart by a neck. Big City Lights finished 3 1/2 lengths behind the top pair, while Senor Buscador rallied late, as expected, and finished fourth.
“I didn't know if we'd get that easy of a lead,” said winning trainer Doug O'Neill, who also took this race last year with Anarchist (Distorted Humor) and in 2014 with Goldencents (Into Mischief). “[Jockey] Antonio [Fresu] had a lot of confidence and everything we dreamt about on paper worked out. Turning for home I was thinking maybe we got second, but it didn't look like anybody was moving in on us. I never thought he'd put away The Chosen Vron. That was pretty incredible.”
Although O'Neill had never been shy about trying Raging Torrent in stakes company, the bay finished fourth last year behind 'TDN Rising Stars' Muth (Good Magic) and Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) in a pair of Grade Is. That same duo also beat him to the wire last year in the GIII Best Pal Stakes, his sole previous graded placing, and while it had been a long time between his debut maiden win in July of 2003 and the Churchill victory that started this win streak, he was usually close and did get an additional black-type placing when trying turf this spring in the John Shear Stakes. He had never tried older horses before Saturday.
Pedigree Notes:
Raging Torrent is a member of Maximus Mischief's first crop. The young Spendthrift sire was the second-leading first-crop sire of 2023 by progeny earnings and leads this year's second-crop list by black-type winners with seven. Raging Torrent is his first graded winner. The Pat O'Brien victor is also one of four stakes winners out of daughters of Violence, who was himself represented Saturday by GI Forego Stakes winner Mullikin.
Rodney J. Winkler and Alfonso Mazzetti bred Raging Torrent in Kentucky, where he was a $27,000 RNA at the 2022 Keeneland September sale. Mark Davis spotted him at the 2023 OBS Spring sale as a 2-year-old and picked him up for $75,000. Davis stayed in on the colt and now co-owns him with Great Friends Stable, which is headed by Craig Dado, who was a member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club's executive staff for 20 years. The mare has a 2-year-old colt named Contra Mundum (Honor A. P.), who was a $55,000 RNA at Keeneland September, and a yearling filly by Collected, who sold to Najd Stud for $47,000 at Keeneland November and has since shipped to Saudi Arabia. Violent Wave, a half to GSW The Nth Degree (Distorted Humor) from the extended family of champion Riva Ridge, was bred to Up to the Mark for 2025.
RAGING TORRENT held off The Chosen Vron ($10.80) to win the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) @LanesEndFarms @BreedersCup Challenge Series Race at @DelMarRacing. The 3-year-old colt by Maximus Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) was trained by @DougONeill1, @Antonio1Fresu up! pic.twitter.com/puzT4gjT37
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 25, 2024
Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $251,500, Del Mar, 8-24, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.17, ft.
1–RAGING TORRENT, 118, c, 3, by Maximus Mischief
1st Dam: Violent Wave, by Violence
2nd Dam: Coastal Wave, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Orange Wave, by Coastal
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($27,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Great Friends Stables, LLC and Mark Davis; B-Rodney J. Winkler & Alfonso Mazzetti (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Antonio Fresu. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-1-2, $467,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Chosen Vron, 125, g, 6, Vronsky–Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful. O-Sondereker Racing LLC, J. Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh; B-Tiz Molly Partners (CA); T-J. Eric Kruljac. $50,000.
3–Big City Lights, 121, h, 5, Mr. Big–Champagne Exchange, by Exchange Rate. ($22,000 Ylg '20 FTCAYR). O-William R. Peeples; B-Bar C Racing Stables Inc (CA); T-Richard E. Mandella. $30,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, 3. Odds: 4.40, 0.50, 16.60.
Also Ran: Senor Buscador, Happy Jack, See Through It, Moose Mitchell, Arrowthegreat.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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